Yesterday Abby, Zoey and I did something traumatic for us all, we went to the local PetMart Groomers.Abby was the main reason for going, according to the Groomer her unusual fur was matted from being shaved by the people who sheltered her. The Groomer said shaving improperly can damage the coat and cause it the grow back differently. I was also told that using a detangler or water on mats will cause them to tighten when they dry.The Groomer was able to shave/cut most of the mats out before she started to struggle; a visit to the Veterinarian might be necessary to finish the job. Abby's Foster Mom said she was not happy when Abby was given a Lion cut; a decision made by upper management.

Yes,shaving is never a good idea unless medically needed. The fur will grow back differently and unless kept up daily can definitely mat.

If the mat is even slightly off the skin, it probably can be worked out but requires plenty of time and patience. And usually a combination of tools as well. If you can get a pair of fingers behind the mat to hold it against pulling (kids fingers as helpers really work well) use a comb and then a finishing brush to work one mat at a time then finish the area with a pin brush to smooth it in with the rest of the fur. Avoid a rake with tight mats as it will just pull the fur out completely. IF the mat can't be combed out, then you will have to clip it, but only as a last resort. Try to work each mat separately. Stop the session when either you or the dog have had enough. That's the patience part.

Detangler is 90% water anyway, and i wouldnt soak the area, but a light misting of water could help depending on the fur involved. If its adult chow fur top coat then misting could help, but undercoat is thicker and its not going to help at all.

I find "the stuff" coat conditioner or "Ice on ice" leave in spray conditioner excellent for removing the odd matt. My chow has only had a couple of small matts in her coat and the conditioner really helped to lubricate the fur so that i could comb the matt out with out hurting her in the process or damaging her fur too.. Attempting this with out the conditioner is something i would never do. Same as your own hair ( especially the ladies) most of us with any thickness or length to our hair know that we need a conditioner to get a comb through it, well its the same for our dogs.So I would always use a leave in conditioner when attempting to get a matt removed, nicer for the dog, and quicker for you too.